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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29195175">these rippled reflections</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonburntmemory/pseuds/moonburntmemory'>moonburntmemory</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ZKFlashFebruary2021 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Agni Kai (Avatar), Astral Projection, F/M, Lucid Dreaming, Southern Water Tribe, baby katara, baby zuko, kind of, season 1 AU, the southern raiders, this whole thing is a fever dream don't question it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:13:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29195175</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonburntmemory/pseuds/moonburntmemory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Katara and Zuko have never met outside of their dreams. But there's an understanding between them the second they see each other.</p><p>The spirits have made sure of this.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ZKFlashFebruary2021 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165919</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Zutara February Flash Fics</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>these rippled reflections</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeymilkchai/gifts">honeymilkchai</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>day 4: in my dreams (on time because elsie)</p><p>(i love you sim)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>fire in the skies, tears in his eyes</strong>
</p><p>He is ten-years-old when sleep brings him the phantom pain of other planes of existence.</p><p>The cold is stabbing icy shards of agony into Zuko’s lungs with every breath that leaves his heaving chest. His hands are clenched into tight fists inside of a small pocket of warmth provided by a pair of fur mittens. They bounce up and down as his legs fight through snowdrifts existing for the sole purpose of hindering him. </p><p>His uncovered cheeks are numb in the permeating cold, but he is simultaneously on fire. Every inch of his body screams out an endless call for him to stop, but he’s lost control over his limbs. The warmth building in his muscles is trapped by a dark blue parka that shields him from what would otherwise be a deadly climate.</p><p>This clearly isn’t the Fire Nation. Zuko doesn’t know where he is or how he's here, but he’s somehow ended up in a land of ice and snow instead of rain and fire. </p><p>He doesn’t remember waking up, but the hairs of fur rubbing onto his skin aren’t  the silk sheets he fell asleep tucked under the night before. This isn’t the bed he closed his eyes in after his mother shut the door. This strange place with the hazy edges and details that go out of focus if he looks for two long isn’t like any place he's ever been before. And he desperately wants to leave. </p><p>Zuko wants to be angry but he can’t find it within himself. Instead, an overwhelming sense of dread threatens to consume him even faster than the burning of his limbs. </p><p>Tears are running out of his eyes and he can’t understand why. Smoke and ash cling to him like cologne to men who fervently believe in their own importance. The snow falling onto his face is black like corpses on a pyre instead of the pure white of newborn seal coats.</p><p>Zuko’s body is on the verge of collapse when the blackened home of ice comes into view. He doesn’t want to go in, but this body pays no mind to his protests. These short legs and rounded cheeks streaked in tears race toward the unassuming dwelling, barreling inside.</p><p>There is a man with dark skin and blue eyes he’s never seen before kneeling on the ground with the limp body of a woman in his arms. He cries, “Katara, close your eyes!” but this body doesn’t listen.</p><p>The acrid smell of burning fills his nostrils, making Zuko share a grimace with his borrowed body.  He sees the blurry reflection of a girl even younger than him in the reflection of the icy walls. Her hair loopies brush against his face as the blue eyes spill tears down his cheeks.</p><p><br/>
The tears are still fresh on his face when he opens his eyes to his mother’s soft touch and warm eyes.</p><p>“Zuko, what’s wrong? Why are you crying, darling?”</p><p>He leaps into her arms like the girl from his dream would never get to again.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
<strong>hearts of ice, forsaken twice</strong>
</p><p>Her mother has been dead for three years when sleep takes her to scorching lands with strange people.</p><p>Katara is far from the comforting polar winds and fields of icy water stretching into the distance. The familiar bite of cold no longer creeps beneath the fur of her parka, which is only a distant memory. There is silk cloth over her bare shoulders and it is surely indecent.</p><p>Replacing the powdery snow beneath her feet is an unforgiving stone that slaps against her heels with every step she takes. Katara tries to move her head and scan her surroundings to no avail. It is as if her body no longer belongs to her. Her will has been stolen along with so much else.</p><p>She fights against the forces keeping her hostage in this strange form surrounded by glaring red lights and shadows, but her efforts are futile. </p><p>The humidity in the air is stifling and the rapid beating of Katara’s heart rings in her ears. It feels like she is drowning in all the water weighing down the air, an ironic fate for a waterbender. Every semblance of sense screams for Katara to flee as fast as she can before the nation of fire can take her too. But every thought in her head is trapped like bubbles of air in blocks of ice.</p><p>Katara is frozen in place and terrified before a towering man with alabaster skin and jet black hair. There is no remorse in the man’s eyes even as Katara falls to her knees and the pitiful pleading starts to slip past her lips. </p><p>On her knees atop the polished floor, Katara can make out the reflection of matching slender features and golden eyes. The pale arms in front of her aren’t her own. Nor is the pleading punctuated by calls of,  “Father!” echoing out in the hall where whispers originate.</p><p>“Rise and fight, Prince Zuko.” There is no fatherly love in his voice. There is nothing except for indifferent pride.</p><p>Katara’s lips move of their own accord. “I won’t fight you.”</p><p>She can barely hear the words coming out of his mouth over the slap of bare feet. It brings Katara’s chin from the ground to point at the terrifying manifestation of malice standing before her. He adjusts his hand to cover the expanse of Katara’s face, brushing gently over her left eye.</p><p>And then his palm goes alight and the broken screams ring out, dulled by bystanders who do nothing.</p><p><br/>
Katara feels heavy hands shaking her shoulders as the scream continues even after her eyes open. Her father is standing above her with a creased brow and she flinches back from his touch. He tries to hold her but she doesn’t let him because a father’s love isn’t as unconditional as she had thought. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>we tried, see you on the other side</strong>
</p><p>Innocence and youth have been thrown to the wind the next time the lines between reality and dreams blur. </p><p>The hulking metal ship cracks any illusion of safety wide open as the soldiers march out. </p><p>Katara trembles in fear for Aang and Sokka and Gran-Gran until the leader calls out for the Avatar. She recognizes the voice. It’s not screaming for mercy anymore.</p><p>The scattered shards of the universe have been seamlessly reunited. Fate has washed over the Southern Water Tribe once again. The spirits, in all of their unquestionable workings, have finally made laid their plans out for mortals to see.</p><p>Katara runs out onto the ice and falls to her knees in front of him, gripping his forearms in her mittened hands. He tries to pull away but doesn't call the fire to his hands like his father had. They're older but she's still surrendering before the same boy who refused to fight from so many years ago.</p><p>“Zuko! Don’t do this!”</p><p>"Wh-what? How do you know my name?" </p><p>He’s taken aback for a moment, lifting his helmet off of his head to truly see Katara’s face. There is a tenderness hardened by time reappearing in his eyes. He is living proof that sentimentality can be stronger than the present. Zuko's eyes widen as he drops into the fresh snow to mirror her kneeling position.</p><p>He's practically breathless as he whispers,“Katara?”</p>
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